Hello Fall! Outdoor decorations

The weather is finally changing here. Thank goodness because Halloween is just 11 days away and who wants to wear a costume in the heat! Summer is certainly holding on as long as possible. However, I was pleased to wake up to 58* this morning!

Even though October started out with temps higher than I had hoped, I still had the Fall-time itch to decorate the outside of my house for my favorite season! When decorating outside remember to chose items that will withstand the elements. I have made the mistake before of putting battery operated wax candles outside in lanterns just to find that they were reduced to a puddle within a week from the heat.

Here's what Nana Bear and I whipped up from the AtHome store a few weeks ago.

For the front porch, we scored this gorgeous wire tiered pumpkin cage on discount and created a Pumpkin Man with two arms made out of plastic flowers. I intentionally left space for real pumpkins that I knew the kids would bring home from their trips to our local farms.

Then, I placed a battery operated candle in the center to light it up. **Remember to use candles specifically labeled for OUTDOOR USE**  The cool thing about the pack of outdoor candles I bought is that it came with a remote! That way we can just walk around and effortlessly turn them all one as the sun goes down. They also have a timer but we don't use that since we don't want them on all night.

The large plastic pumpkins were reused from last year and were spruced up with some pre-cut vinyl lettering from the dollar store. They are cut and hollow on the backside so they cozy up the hay perfectly. If you choose to go this route too; I recommend to put a weight of some kind inside the back to hold it down. I learned my lesson the hard way when storm came through and they were tossed about. A sandwich back of dirt or gravel will do the trick. No need to get fancy on behind the scenes stuff, right!?

For the flower bed, we used a bare spot to build up a few hay bales with the idea of taking photos of the kids when the weather was just right. I am in love with the metal truck and pumpkin signs that we picked up the same day as the wire cage. They have legs that sink into the hay effortlessly and are great additions to the scene. We also picked up a few, cheap, solar lights to stake in front of the display to light it up at night. Finally, to get into the Halloween spirit early on, we let the kids add a pair of zombie hands where they wanted. Sister Bear chose to put her's right in the middle. Ha!

We also added a few metal corn stalks near the garage but I plan to pick up a couple more so it's not pictured here.

Do you have a favorite decoration to use in your fall scenes? Comment below and share photos if you want!!

What A Wild Summer

WOW! I can't believe that schools are starting back up and the cooler temps are creeping upon us. I, for one, am excited to see the soon arrival of FALL! As I reflect on this past summer, I am amazed that so much has been packed into this season of life.

Brother Bear & Sister Bear spent six weeks in the Land of OZ with their dad's family. Although this is a DIFFICULT time for me, I know they had fun. That's a discussion for another time, but we will just leave it at that.

While  they were away, I kept myself overly busy with two classes in college. One was a health & wellness class and the other was a field sampling fish & wildlife class. Talk about busy! I applaud any adult who works a full time job and takes more than one class a term... phew!

Also, while they were away, I took a trip to see Handsome Bear, and celebrate his parent's 50th wedding anniversary! WOW! 50 years! That gave me hope and inspiration. I am so happy for them. It was so nice to spend that time with him. Even though it was a short trip, being in the same city and even the same building makes the weeks of phone calls and video chats worth stepping off the plane to see him waiting for me.

Finally, I went on vacation to OBX for a week with my extended family and really enjoyed the time I had to catch up, relax, and unwind.

Since my cubs came home, we have ventured all over our area. We hit up the beach a couple of times, played with friends and family, went to a children's museum, and to the movies.

There have been some bumps along the road too. Due to heavy, consistent rains, a project I am working on took some major hits in my data collection attempts. Also, Sister Bear fell off a horse at her aunt's house for the first time and experienced her first need for stitches a few weeks later when she tripped while running down the street. (TALK ABOUT HEARTBREAKING)

As a mom, I am still recovering from the trauma I experienced having to hold her down, while she was hysterical, so the Dr. could stitch her up. 5 stitches and a million tears later, I got her home and asleep. I pray we never have to experience that again. Thankfully, Daddy Bear was there to comfort her as quickly as we called him to meet us. To be honest, this is what good co-parenting looks like. Being able to come together when it counts the most. I lost my strong, momma bear courage when he got her buckled. As I stood behind my vehicle sobbing uncontrollably, he came over, let me bury my face in his chest and cry...Then he told me he was proud of how I handled it in there (remembering full well that I LOATH needles and have a tender heart for my babies). Having him there to help carry the some of the load of this event really made all the difference.

To say that I am ready for this season to be over, is an understatement. I want things to slow down and I can't wait for Fall. Bring on the outdoor movie nights, bonfires, apple cider, and all things Fall!

Have an amazing weekend!

Happy New Year! Let's create momentum!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! January sure did fly by! Wow! I hope you had a great holiday season. This momma bear and her cubs surely did. Brother and Sister Bear traveled cross country to the land of Oz to visit their father's family for Christmas. As sad as I was to experience my first EVER Christmas without them, I was happy in the fact that we celebrated early and I just knew they would be spoiled while they were away.

I did some traveling of my own this past Christmas. I went to spend the holiday with Handsome Bear. He and I have been in each other's lives for a little over a year now. We had our first Christmas together while spending a wonderful time with his family. Being around them and focusing on getting to know them really helped keep my mind off the thoughts of missing out on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning traditions. Several days, lots of food, and lots of laughs later, I was home just in time to welcome Brother and Sister Bear home from their adventure.

Now that we are settled back into routines and the new year has started off with a sprint, I can't believe it's almost Valentine's Day!

I'm in the middle of my second class of the year and this work load is heavier than last semester. I will genuinely rejoice when it is over. Ha!

So now that we are all caught up, let's talk about building momentum. Have you felt as if you are trudging through mud in respect to progression of your goals? I certainly have. I have fallen off the wagon of my paths many times and the key is to just get back up and keep moving in that direction.

For me, this year, I have started to build momentum in my business by making small weekly efforts that will bear some fruit. While I'm super swamped with this class, I am still able to pull out 15-30 minutes a couple times a week to dedicate to some activity that will move me closer to the goal.

Also, I have some health and fitness goals I would like to achieve. I  have a deadline of the September 15, 2018. You see, a family member is getting married and I'd love to look my best. I feel I would look my best by letting go of a few jean sizes. Not only will I look better, I will FEEL better. My body type was not designed to carry over 200 lbs around EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.  I want to be able to sprint in the yard with my cubs and not get out of breath after the first round....(which happened just this week). So with the help of a small support group, we together are holding ourselves accountable to what we have placed before ourselves.

"We are in business for ourselves, but not by ourselves." How are you holding yourself accountable to the goals you placed on yourself for 2018? Have you already fallen off the wagon? Do you know it's alright to start over, or just pick up where you left off? It's totally ok!

If you want to create a support group here, comment below with your goals and we can support and uplift you! Until next time.